Introduction
Police agencies across the world are important tools in the law enforcement and judicial systems of any country. Police organizations vary from country to country, but certain similarities exist among all police forces, particularly with regard to departmentalization, ranks and roles. The police forces of both the United States of America (USA) and United Arab Emirates (UAE) are as different as they are similar in various ways. This paper compares the police organizations in the two above mentioned nations. The essay also explores the achievements of the respective police agencies.
Organization
The organization of police in UAE and USA is different in many ways. For example, in the US, there is no national police agency. Instead, the police system is organized on a state, county and local basis (Just Landed, 2013). To this end, each state has its own police force which is often fragmented into several departments, including traffic, highway patrol and immigration police among others. The USA’s many police forces include transport police, state police, city police, county police, sheriff’s departments and highway police (Just Landed, 2013; O’Connor, 2011). There are also part-time, auxiliary police officers, volunteer sheriff’s forces and special duty police officers. A Police Commissioner heads the police agency in a state and under them are various ranks up to the police constable.
On the other hand, the United Arab Emirates has a national police agency which falls under the Ministry of Interior. The UAE police force is divided into several major departments, which include emergency, traffic, nationality and passports, criminal investigation, civil defense, immigrations, trials and courts martial and prisons (Mongabay, 2013). Each emirate has its own police department, which reports to the national police boss under the Ministry of Interior. The individual emirate policy agency is headed by a commander-in-chief who oversees its operations in line with its mandate and law.
In terms of functions, police agencies in both the US and UAE are charged with the main duties of maintaining public order and enforcing the law. Towards this end, each department in the respective countries has a clear mandate. For example, the roles of immigration police in the US are the same as those of UAE police (Mongabay, 2013; O’Connor, 2011). This is true for other departments such as prisons, criminal investigation, traffic and emergency police.
In the said two countries, police officers are involved in prosecuting criminals in the courts. In this case, police officers, who investigate crimes and apprehend criminals, may provide evidence against a suspect in a court of law (Mongabay, 2013; Just Landed, 2013). This way, police officers play a key role in the judicial service systems in both USA and UAE. In addition, police forces in both countries have played a key role in the global fight against terrorism, primarily through investigations and provision of intelligence leads to facilitate identification and prosecution of terrorists, as well as preventing potential terrorist attacks (New York Police Department, 2013).
Achievements
Police forces in the USA and UAE have realized notable achievements in the respective departments and mandates. To this end and as already implied, the US police have played a key individual and collaborative role in the fight against terrorism. For instance, New York Police commissioner, Raymond Kelly, has placed police detectives in various foreign cities to aid intelligence collection aimed at preventing future terrorist attacks (New York Police Department, 2013). Moreover, the New York Police Department has under the aforementioned police commissioner reduced crime by up to 40% in the state (New York Police Department, 2013).
The police force has been collaborating with federal agencies such as the Criminal Investigation Agency (CIA), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and other international security bodies in the fight against terrorism (O’Connor, 2011). Besides the key role in the fight against local and international terrorism, the US police force has made notable achievements in enforcing law in the country, providing humanitarian help to residents and curbing crime in various areas such as immigration, traffic and drug trafficking, adopting new technologies, as well as maintaining security and public order in the nation.
The US police force has also been fundamental in the nation’s judicial service system, facilitating the dissemination of justice (Just Landed, 2013). To this end, police officers investigate crimes and provide evidence in courts of law. On a similar note, the prison department’s role in judicial system cannot be overstated. In addition, the US police officer have been instrumental in the Interpol agency, which plays a key role in curbing international crime and collaborating with local police and other security agencies to keep order and enforce law. One notable achievement in this respect is the fight against drug trafficking, in which the role of US police officer has been remarkable (Just Landed, 2013).
In the case of UAE, the main goal of the Ministry of Interior, under which the national police department falls, is the realization of public security and stability, as well as maintenance of law and order. In line with keeping security, the Abu Dhabi police have, for example, established an e-police service, which is aimed at facilitating crime reporting response (Abu Dhabi Police, 2013). This research-based achievement has enabled the police to rapidly respond to crime, preventing criminality and keeping the residents secure (Abu Dhabi Police, 2013). The UAE police have also achieved remarkable results in the fight against international crime such as human and drug trafficking. This has been made possible through the UAE forces’ collaboration with other police agencies and security bodies, such as the Interpol, CIA and FBI among others (Gulf News, 2012). In 2011, Abu Dhabi police joined the Steering Group of Interpol for the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) program (Gulf News, 2012). On the same note, the Dubai police department has exhibited notable performance in the past few decades. To this end, the Dubai police agency has been playing a key role in upholding human rights and improving transparency and efficiencies in its operations (Agarib, 2013). The success of the Dubai police force is evidenced by the many awards it has won, and importantly so because the accolades are based on careful, stringent evaluation of various aspect of the institution’s performance (Agarib, 2013). The police force across the UAE has exhibited notable performance which has gone a long way in maintaining law and order, enforcing law in line with the international human rights standards, and curbing internal and external crimes. Transparencies, collaboration with other local and international security agencies and good leadership have been important factors in realizing the remarkable achievements by the UAE police (Abu Dhabi Police, 2013; Agarib, 2013; Gulf News, 2012).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the police forces in USA and UAE are similar and different in the different ways as discussed in this write-up. The police agencies in the aforementioned nations have played key roles in maintaining local and international order, curbing crimes, enhancing security, fighting inter-border crimes such as drug dealing, and facilitating the judicial service systems in the respective countries.
References
Abu Dhabi Police. (2013). Achievements. Retrieved 16 November, 2013 from
http://www.adpolice.gov.ae/en/portal/our.achievments.aspx
Agarib, A. (2013). Dubai Police Epitome of Excellence: Dhahi. Retrieved 16 November, 2013
Gulf News. (2012). Abu Dhabi Police Workshop Showcases Achievements. Retrieved 16
November, 2013 from http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/abu-dhabi-police-workshop-showcases-achievements-1.1079146
Just Landed. (2013). The Police: Structure and Organization. Retrieved 16 November, 2013 from
http://www.justlanded.com/english/USA/Articles/Culture/The-police
Mongabay. (2013). United Arab Emirates-Police and the Criminal Justice System. Retrieved 16
November, 2013 from http://www.mongabay.com/history/united_arab_emirates/united_arab_emirates-police_and_the_criminal_justice_system.html
New York Police Department. (2013). Administration. Retrieved 16 November, 2013 from
http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/administration/headquarters_co.shtml
O’Connor, T. (2011). Police Structure and Organizations. Retrieved 16 November, 2013 from
http://www.drtomoconnor.com/megapolice.htm
